Multi-task interactive user-controlled display

ABSTRACT

A combination toy and book simulates the cockpit of a vehicle, such as an airplane. Multiple viewing images and story boards are provided, on a plurality of displays, including a centrally located display and two obliquely placed displays deployed on either side of the centrally located display, simulating panoramic cockpit views. Tangible accessories related to the story line are stored in a pouch extending toward the user from beneath the centrally located display.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is directed to a multi-task interactive user-controlled display. The multi-task display may be a book with images of a vehicle toy and game for simulating control by a user of the motion of a vehicle, such as an aircraft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Simulator games for simulating the control and operation of all kinds of vehicles, and particularly flight simulators, have been known, but there has never been one which provides multiple viewing images straight ahead and obliquely on each side, simulating panoramic cockpit views.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a toy and/or a game for a user to simulate controlling the movement of a vehicle according to a story line provided by a story book, wherein the user-player is given situational challenges to deal with and overcome in order to successfully control the simulated movement of the vehicle.

[0004] It is also an object of the present invention to provide simulator games for simulating the control and operation of all kinds of vehicles, and particularly flight simulators, which provides multiple viewing images straight ahead and obliquely on each side, simulating panoramic cockpit views.

[0005] It is yet another object of the present invention to enable a user to experience the optical, audio and tactile sensory feelings of flight.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an interactive toy and/or a game with user-variation of displays.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to combine traditional reading book pages with an interactive toy and/or a game.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In keeping with these objects and others which may become apparent, according to the present invention provides a toy and/or a game for a user to simulate controlling the movement of a vehicle according to a story line provided by a story book, wherein the user-player is given situational challenges to deal with and overcome in order to successfully control the simulated movement of the vehicle.

[0009] A simulator game simulates the control and operation of all kinds of vehicles, and particularly flight simulators, and provides multiple viewing images straight ahead and obliquely on each side, simulating panoramic cockpit views. The embodiment may be a simulated flight aircraft cockpit, or the viewing portion of a land vehicle such as a truck or a sea vehicle, such as a submarine.

[0010] It enables a user to experience the optical, audio and tactile sensory feelings of flight or other travel modes, with user-variation of displays. The game also combines traditional reading book pages with an interactive toy and/or a game.

[0011] An interactive, multi-task user-controlled display is in one format a vehicle piloting game and toy, provided to amuse and divert a player and permit the player to challenge himself/herself to a variety of operational irregularities complications and difficulties. The irregularities, complications and difficulties are constantly combined differently in story book fashion, as for example, wherein the play is piloting a vehicle that is an aircraft loaded with cargo, flight turbulence is encountered thereby causing some of the cargo crates to break, releasing cargo into the cockpit of the aircraft while another nearby aircraft declares a flight emergency resulting in a mid-air near-miss for the player-pilot. In a different instance of the game, the cargo may be substituted for a cargo of, for example, hazardous waste being transported to a disposal sight. In yet another instance, a passenger aboard a flight piloted by the player becomes unruly and must be dealt with while the aircraft experiences mechanical difficulties in flight. The structure of the game is an interactive multi-task, user-controlled display, which permits simultaneous viewing and/or sensory input of a plurality of tasks.

[0012] The visual display includes at least a pair of displays, preferably one central display and at least two additional displays respectively disposed foldably to the right and left of the central display, for displaying simultaneous, multiple images to a game player. The foldable display has at least two mutually connected foldable sub-display units, such as panes for hanging flip chart and scenery displays and instruments, and it includes a user attachable and detachable connector, such as VELCRO, for user-assembling of the sub-display units into mutual connection with each other. Each of the two sub-display units have user-deployable supports (e.g. a rigid angular support member) for maintaining the sub-display units in an upwardly projecting disposition during use.

[0013] Preferably, these sub-display units each respectively have user-variable displays connected by fasteners, such as VELCRO® for a user to attach or detach a flip-chart style game story books and/or scenery views and/or vehicle control instrumentation or picture frames for sliding a display into place in a frame, for displaying images.

[0014] The game further has optional accessories and player apparel.

[0015] Preferably the game also has a wedge-shaped hollow housing means below the central display including a bottom base surface and one or more upper display surfaces angled obliquely to a player's line of sight during game use. The hollow housing includes a user attachable and detachable connector, such as VELCRO®, for user-assembling of the housing together with the sub-display units into mutual connection with each other during game use. The housing acts as a storage cavity for storing the accessories of the game when not in use, and the display surface of the housing includes the main display and the pair of two sub-display units.

[0016] In an aircraft version of the game, the two mutually connected sub-display units show a plurality of display panes representing a simulated forward-view windshield and side windows of a vehicle being piloted by a player. The display surfaces of the housing's sub-display unit may also include a simulated representational view of a control console for simulated game-involved operational control of the vehicle being piloted by a player.

[0017] The foldable display panes, showing the representational forward end side views of the windshield and windows are respectively foldable between a closed position and an open position.

[0018] In an open position, the panes extend upward viewably from the housing, in a representation of a vehicle windshield, wherein the windshield is centrally disposed in a plane perpendicular to the player's line of sight and the remaining panes are disposed alternately to the right and left of the center pane at oblique angles to a player's line of sight.

[0019] The accessories may include player apparel, such as a pilot's vest and aviator sunglasses, and a game story manual containing one or more stories of the game to be played. An adventure storybook album is removably attachable to the plurality of panes. One or more bags of applique patches are removably attachable to the plurality of panes.

[0020] An optional personal player trip log manual is removably attachable to said plurality of panes, and at least one container contains a plurality of flat instrument appliques, which are removably attachable to the plurality of panes and may depict various vehicle control instruments and the achievement appliques respectively represent various user accomplishments during the playing of the game.

[0021] The means for user-variation of the displays of the sub-display units may be one or more flip-chart-style story book pages, which are consistent with a story line of an adventure of the game being played. The flip chart is removably attached, respectively, to the plurality of panes by hook-and-loop fastener means, such as VELCRO®.

[0022] Optionally, the sub-display units may have one or more frames attached to the respective plurality of panes, wherein each frame has display cards, with card-in-frame-style story books respectively having pages consistent with a story line of an adventure described in the game being played.

[0023] Each frame may have a user-crankable roll of displayable images, such as film-strip-style story books respectively with image pages consistent with a story line of an adventure of the game being played.

[0024] Moreover, the oblique right and left displays may be attached hingedly to the body of the flight simulator story book. In this case, the hingedly attached right and left displays fold between an outward deployed position and an inward storage position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention can best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026]FIG. 1 is a Perspective view of a pilot game of this invention in use.

[0027]FIG. 2 is a Perspective view of the pilot game kit showing various accessories.

[0028]FIG. 3 is a Perspective view of the pilot game during assembly.

[0029]FIG. 4 is a Perspective view of the pilot game in use illustrating interactive aspects.

[0030]FIG. 5 is a Perspective view of the pilot game detail embodiment using loose card packets.

[0031]FIG. 6 is a Perspective view of an alternate pilot game detail illustrating film in a cassette case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] In accordance with the present invention, a pilot game 1 is shown being used by a player 2 in FIG. 1.

[0033]FIG. 2 shows the paraphernalia in the kit that comprises pilot game 1. A uniquely shaped binder/folder 5 that becomes the main structural element of the game contains the remaining items which include adventure story book albums 6, and optional accessories, such as a flight manual 7 which contains the story line, aviator glasses 8, windbreaker or vest 9, personal flight manual and log 10, a bag of patches 11 and a bag containing toy instruments.

[0034]FIG. 3 shows the scheme for folding the binder/folder 5 into the main structure of the pilot game. There are places for attachment of adventure book albums 6 via Velcro strips 15 and also places for attaching optional patches or instruments 16.

[0035]FIG. 4 shows the pilot game set up and in use by player 2. Note the interactive nature of play coupled with the non-linear aspects of the story.

[0036]FIGS. 5 and 6 show two different alternate embodiments wherein the adventure book albums 6 are replaced by alternate elements.

[0037] In FIG. 5, loose card packets 22 are placed in frames 21 which are attached to pilot game structure 20.

[0038] An example of a story line used with the present invention is shown in Appendix A for an adventure story entitled “Power Glider and the Sky Squadron”, about an imaginary child pilot known as Skyler Swift searching through adverse flying and weather conditions for Captain Swift, a world renown scientific weather research pilot. The child user interacts in the game display of the present invention with multiple tasks, such as reading, following instructions, evaluating visual clues, encountering imaginary obstacles, using sensory feelings and thought provoking skills to proceed through the game methodically or randomly.

[0039] Therefore, the simulator game simulates the control and operation of all kinds of vehicles, and particularly flight simulators, and provides multiple viewing images straight ahead and obliquely on each side, simulating panoramic cockpit views. The embodiment may be a simulated flight aircraft cockpit, or the viewing portion of a land vehicle such as a truck or a sea vehicle, such as a submarine.

[0040] It enables a user to experience the optical, audio and tactile sensory feelings of flight or other travel modes, with user-variation of displays.

[0041] It is further noted that other embodiments and changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended Claims. 

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for displaying images to a game player, comprising: a centrally located display unit; at least two mutually connected foldable sub-display units, wherein said at least two mutually connected foldable sub-display units are user attachable and detachable connectors for user-assembly of said sub-display units into mutual connection with said centrally located display unit at opposite sides thereof; said centrally located display unit and at least two sub-display units having user-deployable support for maintaining said sub-display units in an upwardly projecting disposition during use; said sub-display units each respectively having a user-variable display displaying images and accessories and player apparel; and said game having a wedge-shaped housing, wherein said housing has a bottom base surface and at least one upper display surface angled obliquely to a player's line of sight during game use, a user attachable and detachable connector connecting said housing together with said sub-display units during game use.
 2. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a storage cavity below said sub-display units for storing said game when not in use; and a display surface of said housing is one of said at least two sub-display units.
 3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said user-variable display units is a display pane representing a simulated forward-view windshield of a vehicle being piloted by a player; and said user-variable display surface of said housing sub-display unit comprises a simulated representational view of a control console for simulated game-involved operational control of the vehicle being piloted by a player.
 4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said sub-display units comprise foldable display panes for hanging accessories therefrom.
 5. The apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said accessories comprise flip charts, scenery displays and instruments.
 6. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein each of said panes is respectively foldable between a closed position and an open position, wherein said panes in said open position extends upward viewably from said housing, and one of said panes is centrally disposed in a plane perpendicular to the player's line of sight and the remaining panes are disposed alternately to the right and left of said center pane at oblique angles to a player's line of sight.
 7. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said foldable display panes show representational forward and side-views.
 8. The apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said accessories comprises a kit having: sunglasses; a game story manual containing at least one story comprising the game to be played; at least one adventure story book album removably attachable to said plurality of panes; at least one bag of applique patches user mountable and dismountable to said plurality of panes; at least one personal player trip log manual removably attachable to said plurality of panes; at least one container containing a plurality of flat instrument appliques, said appliques being removably attachable to said plurality of panes, said instrument appliques respectively representing various vehicle control instruments; and at least one container containing a plurality of flat reward and achievement appliques, said appliques being removably attachable to said plurality of panes, said reward and achievement appliques respectively representing various user accomplishments during the playing of said game.
 9. The apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said player apparel comprises a vest.
 10. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said user attachable and detachable connector comprises a hook-and-loop fastener.
 11. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said user-comprises: a centrally located display includes a base, said base being foldable rigid angular support member hingedly attached to said respective at least two sub-display units and extending downwardly therefrom when deployed for maintaining said sub-display units in an upwardly projecting disposition during use.
 12. The apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said accessory appliques are user mountable and dismountable by hook-and-loop fastener to said display surface of said housing means sub-display unit.
 13. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said user-variable display of said sub-display units comprises at least one flip-chart-style story book having pages consistent with a story line of an adventure comprising the game being played.
 14. The apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said at least one story book flip chart is removably attached, respectively, to said plurality of panes.
 15. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said sub-display units comprises at least one frame attached to each of said panes in said plurality of panes, and said frame having display cards, wherein said frame and cards comprises card-in-frame-style story books respectively having pages consistent with a story line of an adventure comprising the game being played; and wherein said at least one frame is removably attached, respectively, to said plurality of panes.
 16. The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said sub-display units comprises at least one frame attached to said respective plurality of panes, said frame having a user-crankable roll of displayable images, said frame and crankable image roll comprising film-strip-style story books respectively having image pages consistent with a story line of an adventure comprising the game being played; and wherein said at least one frame having a user-crankable image roll is removably attached, respectively, to said plurality of panes. 